The Asgardian
1. The Asgardian
"Dad?"
"…No. No, no, no…"
Rocket didn't know how long he sat there, staring at the dust in his claws as if he could somehow will the universe to give him back. He cried at first, on and off for about thirty minutes and then it was just dry sobs as one by one the Terrans around him dispersed. The captain and the assassin were the first to leave, carrying the lifeless husk of their android companion back to the city. The men in the armoured suits—a soldier, a scientist—left as well, to help with damage control efforts as well as start to clean up what remained of the Outrider threat. The two Wakandans—a bodyguard, a chief—rushed back to the palace not long after, to help their people coordinate a response.
In the end it was just the pirate-angel, the Asgardian, who remained at his side as the twilight turned to nightfall. Rocket drew his legs up to his chest and gripped his hands together, glancing over to Thor. The god of thunder was quiet, with an expression on his face that Rocket knew all too well.
Guilt.
"Thor. It…it's not your fault. Stop making th-that stupid face."
"How can it not be, Rabbit?"
"You ain't the purple douchebag who snapped his fingers, are you?"
Thor bit his lip, looking towards where Stormbreaker fell on the ground after the Mad Titan departed, the blood which stained his blade the only evidence that Thanos had been there.
"I may as well have. Did you not see it, Rabbit? I wanted to watch him suffer. In my…in my anger, I buried my axe into his chest when I should have sundered his head from his body. I could have removed the Mad Titan's arm, prevented him from using the Gauntlet's power. I thought the heart would be enough of a target. I was wrong. And now half of all life is just…"
He gestured to the dust that remained on Rocket's claws, seemingly not realising whose it was. Rocket forced back a sob as he remembered that it wasn't just Thor that hadn't been there until the very end. He had been so engrossed in facing the Outriders that it wasn't until he saw Thor streak towards the forest that he ran towards the treeline, running into—.
"…Rabbit? Wh-where is Tree?"
"'Dad', he said…"
"I-I'm sorry?"
"He…he called me 'Dad' at the end, Thor."
Thor closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I…That truly grieves me to hear. He was a noble companion. As you have been. I hope that you can…well, forgive me for my failure."
The raccoon flashed his teeth at the Asgardian and scowled. "Well I ain't about to forgive you Thor, 'cause your pretty pirate-angel god-man ass ain't done nothin' to me, you understand? It's Thanos that'll have to answer for what he did, and he will! He…he will. We're gonna make sure of that."
His voice cracked with uncertainty as he finished, and Thor let out a long sigh. The god was silent for a moment afterwards, before standing and looking back towards the battlefield, the moon casting its serene light through the trees. It looked so peaceful, even after what very well seemed like the losing battle of a war where everything was at stake.
Then looking down at his unlikely companion, the Asgardian straightened and went back to where Stormbreaker lay. He bent down to retrieve it, only for Rocket to scurry in front of him. The raccoonoid hesitated, before placing his claws on the handle—on what remained of his friend, his kid. Thor bowed his head as he struggled to lift it, dragging the axe a few feet before dropping it and jerking his claws back as though burned.
"…It is as I told you and the rest of the Morons. Mortals are not meant to wield such weapons."
"Then help me, Thor. It's…it's all I got left of him…"
The God of Thunder once more knelt down to Rocket's level, a genuine smile flashing upon his face for the first time since they met as he too placed a hand upon his weapon.
"Together, then, Rabb—"
"-Okay, hold up, Thor. Before we go, I just wanted to clear something up. The name's Rocket. Of course, uh…you can keep calling me Rabbit if you want. It does…have a sort of ring to it, you know?"
Thor nodded, smile widening slightly.
"Rocket. I like the sound of that. Shall we go now?"
That was how the man once known to the world as Captain America greeted the two when they arrived at the palace the next morning: the raccoon from space gripping the handle of Stormbreaker tightly, the God of Thunder supporting the head of the axe, seemingly bearing most of the weight.
Steve Rogers couldn't help but smile as he approached the two. He was reminded of his conversation with Stark, what seemed like a lifetime ago.
"We'll lose."
"Then we'll do that together, too."
He clapped a hand on the Asgardian's shoulder, and the three of them walked back up the stairs of the palace to an empty room. It was a new day, and with it, a new determination flared through Rogers.
They needed to mourn.
They needed to rebuild.
They needed to avenge their own.
And they would do it together.